ITV's Fool's Gold is based on existing records and conversations with people connected with the robbery, but director Terry Winsor and producer Jeff Pope stress that the truth about the robbery is 'as elusive as the gold itself.'

Despite the capture and conviction on the gang's leaders the gold has remained beyond the police's grasp. In fact, it is possible anyone who bought jewellery in Britain after 1984 is wearing some of the Brink's-Mat gold.

Says Pope: 'I remember the robbery because at the time I was living near Heathrow but I didn't follow what happened and wasn't even aware that anyone had been caught.

'I read a magazine article about how next year will be the 10th anniversary of the crime and how most of the gold has never been found, and thought it would be a good idea for a film.

'Brink's-Mat wasn't a clever crime because the robbers were caught quite easily. What I found fascinating was the inside story - the intrigue, and double-crossing between friends.

'It is not a documentary and doesn't religiously follow events, but there isn't a scene which does not have a reference in fact. We were anxious not to glorify crime and didn't want people to feel sorry for the men who were caught and sent down.

'We wanted the scene where they break into the warehouse to be as realistic as possible - sweaty, noisy and with lots of swearing. We didn't put the swearing in just for the sake of it - I'm sick of seeing contemporary London villains being given more polite things to say such as "blast". We wanted it to be violent because it was violent.'

The film was made on location in London and Spain and cost less than ú500,000.

Radio Times article

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Fool's Gold

A daring criminal finds that his troubles are only beginning after executing the biggest robbery in Britain's history in this crime drama starring Sean Bean and based on actual events. A low-level thug looking to turn heads in the London underworld, Mickey McAvoy (Bean) rounds up a fearless crew of criminals in preparation for the perfect heist. When the crew makes an unexpected discovery in the course of the crime and loyalties start to shift, the police pick up on a flaw in the plan and start to put the pressure on the one person who can blow the whole investigation wide open. As the authorities begin to close in on the brazen criminals, McAvoy has one more brilliantly devious trick up his sleeve that the police could never anticipate. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide